Captive Memories
by potato4
Summary: Harry's angry, Ron's advantage-taking, Astoria's jealous, Ginny's conniving, Blaise isn't helping, Draco's upset, and Hermione's pregnant and stripped of her memory. Goodbye war, hello drama. SEQUEL TO PRISONER UNLEASHED! NOT fluffy! NOT really soap-opera
1. Memories Held Captive

A/N- Here we are! THIS IS THE **SEQUEL** TO PRISONER UNLEASHED! Go read that first, because there will be flashbacks and stuff you might not get if you don't read that first.

This is NOT all soap-opera and fluff. I hope. I will try to not make it like that. I hope to make this one WAY better than "Prisoner" because this is my ninth fic, and "Prisoner" was my first.

PS- I'm sorry for leaving you all on a cliffhanger. I'm just mean like that. :)

Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter.

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Chapter One- Memories Held Captive

Draco Malfoy was pacing nervously in the waiting room, head ducked, avoiding the piercing glares of two other men waiting with him.

A door along the hall across from them opened, and a fully-uniformed healer stepped out, eyes fixed on the three men. Draco stopped pacing, and Harry and Ron abruptly stood up.

"Mr Malfoy?" the healer asked. He nodded. "Follow me. You can come too, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley." She led them into another room that was nearly empty except for a table. She gestured for them to sit down. "I have news on Miss Granger's status."

"Go on." Ron said. Harry gave him a look.

"I'm not quite sure how to explain this to you…" the healer started, looking down at her papers.

"She's not in a critical state or anything, is she?" Draco asked in a rush. The healer gave him a reassuring smile.

"Oh, no, no, it's just… we've never gotten something like this before," she gave a last glance at her papers. "Let me try to explain. Miss Granger had a memory condition before she was struck by lightning, correct? Our theory is that she was in the middle of a memory lapse when she got struck, and the lightning furthered her memory loss. Thus, she lost nearly everything of the last year or so. She thinks she's seventeen, on that mission with Mr Potter and Mr Weasley to find the horcruxes."

Draco had a hopeless look on his face. Even Harry felt slightly bad for him. "Nothing?" he asked. "At all? Not even me?"

"I'm sorry Mr Malfoy. Nothing. She thinks you're the same boy from school."

"But I can just tell her, remind her, right?" Draco asked desperately.

The healer gave him a sad smile. "I'm afraid not, Mr Malfoy. We tried that already, and the results may be fatal. We tried telling her about how the light side lost the battle at Hogwarts the first time around, and we recently beat Voldemort two months ago. Her body reacted negatively. Her heart rate shot straight up, and her heart nearly failed her. We think it's something to do with a severe spasm of the coronary artery and her memory condition, the lightning, her mental state, and her pregnancy all mixed together int-"

"Wait- WHAT?" Harry interrupted. "Did I just hear what I thought I did?"

The healer looked confused. "What's the problem?"

"Did you just say PREGNANT?" he nearly screamed.

Ron's eyes widened. "Hermione's pregnant?"

Harry grabbed a fistful of Draco's collared shirt. "You got Hermione _pregnant_?"

Draco's eyes widened. "No! We didn't even have… _that_, I'm not sure how it happened!"

"Wait a moment… you all didn't know about her baby?" the healer asked.

"Uh, _no_?" Ron said. "Hence the surprise!"

"Evidently Malfoy here knew and didn't tell us." Harry said accusingly.

Draco put his hands up. "I didn't know until this morning! That's why she ran out of her flat and got hit by lightning in the first place. I accused her of having an affair with Weasley."

"You idiot!" Ron yelled. "Look at what you did to her!"

"How was I to know? How was I to react? How, Weasley, how?" Draco demanded. Suddenly his expression changed from anger to one of sorrow. He sat back down and sunk his head into his hands. "How…"

Harry felt slightly bad for him, but the healer snapped him out of it.

"Mr Malfoy, Potter, Weasley, I'm very sorry, but-"

"Can we at least go see her?" Draco asked.

"I was just getting to that. You all may see her, but you can't mention anything that has happened in the last year or so. Little things, yes, but big things, no. The result may be fatal."

"So you mean… I can't tell her that we were in a relationship?" Draco asked in a small voice.

"I'm afraid not, Mr Malfoy. You can try telling her that you two were friends, or on good speaking terms, but I wouldn't try anything more. It might kill her."

Harry only had to take one look at Draco's face in order to see how much this news pained him. "Is there any possible way she might remember everything herself?"

The healer smiled and nodded. "We think so. With enough interaction with the world around her, and with enough little reminders here and there, we think we can bring back her memory. Then again, we aren't making promises."

Draco nodded slowly.

Ron spoke up. "Does she know she's… pregnant?" He said the last word like it pained him.

"No, she doesn't, and we'd prefer that she finds out about it herself." The healer said.

"What about the father? What are we supposed to tell her?" Harry asked.

The healer shrugged. "That's where things get quite creepy. We ran a couple tests, and we simply cannot tell who the father is. It's frightening, actually."

Draco sighed. "I have a theory."

The healer cocked an eyebrow. "Well then. Let's hear it!"

"When we were imprisoned together, Lord Voldemort gave Hermione a potion that contained one of my hairs. She drank it, and later told me that it felt like a rock being dropped in her stomach. Ever since, she's had stomach pains and has thrown up a couple times. I think he gave her some variation of a pregnancy potion."

The healer gasped. "That must be it! We could barely see the fetus, it was all blurry. We couldn't tell who the father was. She wasn't showing at all. It makes sense."

"Okay, this is getting too much to take." Ron said.

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Why would Voldemort give her a pregnancy potion?"

"I… I don't know. Maybe he wanted a child to raise as his own?" Draco offered.

"Whatever, we can discuss this later, can we just go see her now?" Ron asked.

The healer nodded and stood up. "Follow me." She led them out of the room and in front of Hermione's door. "One at a time, please."

Ron went in first, then came a few minutes later looking a bit pale. "Nothing… not a single thing…"

Harry entered next, and spent a little longer in there. When he came out, he nodded at Draco. "I warned her." Draco gave the slightest of a smile, then it disappeared as he faced the door, ready to see her. Hesitantly, he swung it open, and gasped at her.

She looked frailer than ever, with at least a half-a-dozen beeping machines hooked up to her. She was looking straight at him, face set with no expression. He slowly walked up to her, and sat down on the plastic seat next to her bed.

She looked at him expectantly, so he spoke. "Hello, Hermione."

A flutter of surprise passed over her face, and one machine began beeping slightly faster. So that's what the healer meant by increased heart rate. And he had only said her name… "You call me Hermione?"

"Er… yes. See, it's a long story."

"I'm in a hospital. I have nothing but time."

"Well… I don't want to cause your heart rate to speed up, or for you to have one of those artery spasms, so I'm going to make this simple. During the war, I worked with you. And we became friends- sort of."

Hermione's eyes widened at this news, then they snapped shut, and she looked as if she was in pain. The machine started beeping wildly again.

"Hermione?" he leaned over her bed, watching with scared eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

Her eyes snapped open and she panted, gasping breaths deeply. "I'm fine…" she said. "I just… I don't know why… I keep reacting… like that."

"Your memory's gone." He said simply.

"I know that!" she snapped, taking another deep breath. "Okay then. You say we're friends?"

He nodded.

"Close friends?"

"I wouldn't say… _that_ close. I suppose we were close enough." It hurt him to lie like that.

She nodded. "You're upset."

"I am?"

"I can tell."

"Oh."

"Well… I suppose this is awkward enough," she paused. "Don't expect me to be nice to you or anything, but I'll give you a chance. If me in the future could tolerate you, then I think I could now."

He couldn't help but grin slightly. Still her sensible self. "Okay then. Bye Hermione."

"Bye Malfoy."

He left, letting Mrs Weasley bustle into the room next. This was going to be difficult.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A/N- There you go! The first chapter! As you might know, my first chapters are short in almost all of my fics. Deal with it.

The artery and heart thing is true, sort of. I would explain it, but I'm too lazy. If you want me to, review and I'll reply. Or I'll have the healer explain it next chapter.

REVIEW FOR NEXT CHAPTER!


	2. Relearning

A/N- So what I was trying to explain as Hermione's medical condition was something called the coronary artery spasm. It's when one of the arteries narrows temporarily, cutting off blood flow. This can be caused by stress, and it can lead to possible heart attack. I added the increased heart rate as my own symptom, for reasons that you don't know yet… (creepy face here). Hope that explains things.

If it seems far-fetched, just remember that she was pregnant and under the effects of a Dark curse when she was struck by lightning- that could lead to anything. :)

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Chapter Two- Re-learning

"So…" Hermione said slowly, inspecting every corner of the room as she walked. "I _own_ this."

Ginny nodded, afraid of what might happen next- be she didn't have to be. Hermione's face broke into a wide smile and she squealed. "That is so amazing!" It had been two days since Hermione had been admitted into the hospital, and the healers had confirmed that she was healthy enough to be released.

"Yeah… apparently you've always wanted a bookstore, but never told anyone." Ginny said, trailing a finger across a shelf. Then she pretended to remember something. "Oh! There's someone coming today."

"Really?" Hermione was examining her desk. "Who?"

"He works for you."

"Go on…"

"It's-"

She was interrupted by the tinkling of bells as the door to Hermione's bookstore swung open. And in stepped none other than Draco Malfoy. "Hello, boss."

Hermione's jaw slightly dropped. "You work… _for_ me?"

He nodded. Ginny watched the two with an amused smile.

"Something tells me we were better friends than you're letting on."

Draco's face tightened slightly. "We might have been."

"Alright then… but why would you be working? You have an entire fortune at your fingertips."

"I… well, I didn't want to just sit around all day."

"And you chose, of all jobs, the one that _I'm_ the boss of?"

Draco nodded.

Hermione looked at Ginny. "You're not going to tell me either, are you?" Ginny shook her head.

"Sorry, Hermione, but it's in your best interest."

She threw her hands up. "How am I going to remember things if you don't tell me?"

"The healer said you'll remember on your own. With time."

"I know," Hermione said. "I just… I'm not used to not knowing things."

Ginny nodded sympathetically. "Why don't you go to the storage room? I think you'll like it back there."

Hermione grinned and scampered off. Ginny walked over to Draco. "So… are you planning on telling her that your 'job' here is making out in her office at lunch break?"

Draco sighed. "I wish I could…"

Ginny patted him on the shoulder. "Good luck actually working now. Have fun!" And she flounced out of the bookshop, back to the bustling streets of Diagon Alley.

Suddenly, the door to the storage room banged open. "There are more books in there than at the Hogwarts library." Hermione had a wide smile on her face. She looked like a six-year-old at a candy shop.

Draco leaned on a bookshelf. "Yep."

"Where did I get the money for all of those?" she asked slowly. "I know I didn't have nearly enough to pay."

Draco shrugged. "You had a tiny donation."

Hermione gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

"It was nothing."

Then the bell on the door rang again, and a small boy stepped inside. Hermione's face brightened even further. "I have customers!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"_Hermione Granger Loses Memory_." Blaise Zabini read off of his newspaper. His wife, Pansy Zabini, gritted her teeth.

"Did she now?"

Astoria Greengrass, who was visiting the Zabinis for lunch, grinned. "Go on Blaise."

"War heroine Hermione Jean Granger reportedly had her memory of the last year swiped clean after being stuck by a bolt of lightning. After the electric shock, Draco Malfoy, her boyfriend, found her unconscious on the ground. Upon awakening her, he discovered to his obvious dismay that she remembers nothing of the war, her job, and most devastatingly, their relationship."

Astoria visibly brightened at this. _She forgot about their relationship…_

"After an interview with Miss Granger's healer, we have discovered that nothing about the last year can be revealed to her due to her medical condition- or the results could be fatal. Let's hope she doesn't read this article! So, the final questions are: Will Miss Granger ever remember who she was and what she did? What are Mr Potter and Mr Weasley going to do about the whole ordeal? And for all of you ladies- Is Draco Malfoy the newest most eligible bachelor?"

It was at this question that Astoia smiled a little devious smile. _I think he might just be. _

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Ron looked up over his book. "Nothing here."

Harry threw his copy of 'Unusual Pregnancies' over his shoulder. "I am about ready to give up!"

The two were in Malfoy Manor's extravagant library, searching endlessly for any information on a pregnancy potion. And they found nothing.

"Hey…" Ron said. "Malfoy didn't say we couldn't go over there, did he?" He pointed to the section of the room where a collection of old Malfoy diaries laid.

"I don't recall him saying it was off limits." Harry said. Casting a glance at each other, they shrugged and ran to the other side of the room.

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"Hermione? We close for lunch at twelve." Draco called from a corner of the room, where he was sorting through books.

Hermione checked her watch. It was 11:58. "Oh…"

"Would you like to go out somewhere?" Draco asked. "Just as friends, I mean." She had no idea how much it pained him to say that.

She smiled. "I'd like that." She was going through a shipment when the clock hit twelve. "Where do you want to go?"

Draco thought for a moment. "There's a nice shop down the street, or…" then an idea hit him. "Wait- I know the perfect place."

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"I found it! I found it!" Harry exclaimed, waving a leather-bound book in his hand. Ron dropped the diary he was reading and raced over.

"What does it say?"

"The Conception Potion," he read, "also called the pregnancy potion, is considered one of the rarest and most difficult potions to brew. It involves a complex three-month cycle of heating, cooling, stirring-"

"Harry, just skip to the important part." Ron said in a tone a five-year-old might use when being read a storybook.

"Alright, alright," he ran a finger down the crinkled pages. "Here- Effects and Details. The pregnancy potion produces witches and wizards of utmost power, and their magic is strong. Most often, the witch will birth twins, fraternal in many cases. One will often look like the mother, the other like the father."

Ron turned pale. "We forgot about the father! Look that up."

Harry scanned the page again, then found it. "The pregnancy potion requires a piece of some sort of DNA from a male. Often this is a hair, a nail, or blood… wait. Didn't Malfoy say that one of his hairs was put into the potion she took?"

Ron's jaw dropped slightly. "Hermione is carrying Malfoy's baby?"

"Actually, most likely, two of them." Harry corrected.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

There was a sharp tug at her naval, she felt like she was being squeezed through a tube, and then they were there. "Is this _Muggle_ London?"

Draco nodded, and held the door open. "After you."

Hermione walked in, and was relieved in the cool air. It was a small brown café with a couple round tables scattered about. She could smell the slight scent of grilled cheese, and suddenly felt herself falling.

FLASHBACK

_She rolled her eyes and pushed the door open, revealing a cozy brown room with a couple round tables scattered about. She couldn't believe Malfoy went here. Draco walked up to the counter and ordered a turkey croissant for himself and a grilled cheese for her. Then they sat._

END FLASHBACK

Blinking rapidly, Hermione felt a tug at her arm. Draco was pulling her back up. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

She realized she was kneeling down, and quickly stood up. Looking around, she recognized the café as the one she had seen in her memory. "We- we've been here before."

Draco's eyes widened. "You remember?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"This is awful," Ron said, leaning back against the wall of the library. "I don't want to believe it."

"Well, you're going to have to. C'mon, let's go tell Ginny and your mum. They'll want to know." Harry stood and made his way to the door.

"Wait- what about the rest of the book? There was a lot more information in there." Ron gave it an apprehensive look.

"Honestly?" Harry asked, holding the book at arm's length. "I don't want to read whatever else is in there quite yet."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"You remember? What did you see?" Draco asked excitedly, leading Hermione to a table. "Anything else?"

She held a hand to her throbbing forehead. "No… just us coming here."

His face fell slightly. "Oh."

"But that's good, right? That I'm remembering things?"

"Yeah, it's good." He tried to maintain a happy tone of voice.

"You're upset."

"No, no," he reassured her. "Why don't we take something to go and then go tell the others?"

"Alright."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A/N- Okay then. That's it for now! I have nothing else to say…

Go check out my newest one-shot, "Save the Last Dance For Me" please!

REVIEW!

~Potato


	3. A Plan

Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter… yet. :)

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Chapter Three- A Plan

Draco stepped through the fireplace in the living room, wiping his (designer) pants of soot and giving the tattered couch before him a rather disgusted look. Then looking up, and seeing Harry, Ron, and Ginny sitting on the couch, his face contorted with even more disgust. "You called?"

Harry grinned and waved a small leather-bound book in his left hand. "We found out about the potion."

"Is that what I'm here for?" Ginny asked. "Because I'm missing a nail appointment."

"I think that Hermione's pregnancy is more important than your cuticles." Ron said, grabbing the book and tossing it at Draco. "Page fifty-seven."

Draco opened it, revealing a heading that read: 'The Conception Potion'. "So I was correct?" he asked.

Harry and Ron nodded, to which Draco got a little more excited. "So I'm the-"

"Wait, what are we talking about?" Ginny interrupted. Ron had informed her about Hermione's pregnancy, but nothing about Draco's potion theory.

"Hermione is pregnant by a potion," Harry explained. "And Malfoy is the father."

Draco gave a little sigh of relief while Ginny sputtered slightly. "Wha- what? _Really_?"

"Well… yeah. Who else is the father supposed to be?" he asked.

Ginny gave the slightest glance at Ron before turning back to Draco. "Well… congratulations. Sorry you… can't tell her." She lifted her hand slightly as if she was going to pat him on the shoulder, but she seemed to change her mind and instead moved to untangle an imaginary tangle in her hair.

Draco's small moment of happiness over the fact that he was the father seemed to die down as he realized he couldn't tell her. "When do you think she'll notice she's pregnant?"

Harry shrugged. "The effects of the potion are odd. She might not even show."

"But she may have morning sickness and stuff…" Ron said. "If she finds out, maybe she'll remember something."

"Oh! That reminds me," Draco said, tearing his eyes from the book. "I took her to this café for lunch, one that we went to before, and she said she had a flashback of sorts. She remembered the last time we went."

Ginny's eyebrows raised. "That's- that's great!"

"Brilliant," agreed Ron. "Does that mean we could just take her places and she'll remember?"

"I don't know… she said she had a blackout and she fell down. And she only remembered a little. If she remembers more, the side effects of her flashbacks might be increasingly dangerous."

"Damn all these memory complications," Ron said. "Well… we'll just have to keep taking her places and," he took a deep breath, "hopefully, it'll all come back to her."

There was a moment of silence, where everyone realized that the whole situation was rather awkward. Only something like Hermione's condition could bring the particular foursome together to have a polite conversation.

"Well, I suppose I should get back to the bookstore." Draco said, heading back to the fireplace. "I'll… see you later?"

The three nodded. "Bye."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The next week flew by rather quickly. Hermione grew used to her new job at the bookstore, but didn't seem to want to talk to Draco much. He dismissed it as her needing to adjust to their friendship. She hadn't had any more flashbacks (as far as she was letting on) but she came into the shop on one particular Wednesday morning looking rather pale and worried.

Draco had arrived early and was pretending to dust a shelf. "Are you alright?"

She bit her lower lip and shook her head slightly. "I'm not feeling too well. Threw up twice this morning, and my stomach hurts."

Draco had a feeling of dread as well as excitement. "You threw up? Did you eat something bad?"

She shook her head. "No. I threw up yesterday and Sunday as well."

"Do you want to go to St Mungo's?"

"No… I don't- I think…" she winced again and put a hand on her stomach. "Yes," she peeped.

"It's alright, we'll just close for the day."

"Can… can you call Ginny? I want her to come as well."

"Sure, sure," Draco said. "I'll get her right away."

An hour later, Draco and Ginny were waiting (again) in the waiting room as the same healer who was in charge of Hermione the last visit ran some tests. It turned out her name was Dorothy Barnes. Draco had been too lazy to ask previously.

"How do you think she'll react?" Ginny asked, speaking for the first time since they had gotten there. She had picked up a magazine, but Draco knew she wasn't reading it, as she hadn't turned a page for the last half hour.

"I don't know. Maybe she'll think it was a joke and she'll laugh."

Ginny gave him a '_seriously_?' look.

Draco sighed. "Fine. I'm just trying to make light of the situation. Most likely? She'll just have pains or something."

"But- but what if-"

Ginny was cut off as Hermione's door swung open and Dorothy stepped out, a little smile on her face. She motioned for them to come.

"Miss Granger is pregnant, as you both know. She was… _surprised_ to find out."

"What happened?" Draco's tone was evidently worried.

"She's fine," Dorothy moved, so they could see through the doorway. "She did pass out, however."

Ginny rushed to Hermione's side, but Draco stayed back. "What about the baby? Is it a girl? A boy?"

Dorothy's expression turned to one of frustration. "That's the thing- we couldn't see it. The fetus, that is. Were you right about the potion?"

He nodded. "That must be one of the side effects. Did you try the spell?"

"Of course. There was no response. We couldn't even tell who the father was."

"It's me."

"Really? How do you know?"

"Long story, but Potter and Weasley did their research."

"Ah… but you're not going to tell her?"

"Of course not."

"Good, good. Well, I best be off, I have other patients. She's free to go once she wakes up, and she can schedule a follow-up appointment at the desk." Then Dorothy left.

Draco walked over to Hermione's bed, where she was pretty much out cold. "When do you think she'll wake up?"

Ginny shrugged. "Who knows?"

Then Draco got a little idea. He leaned over and poked her on the nose. Hermione sniffed slightly, and scrunched her nose up. He grinned slightly and poked it again, a bit harder. She shivered slightly. He brought his finger up, about to poke her a last time, when Hermione's eyes snapped open, and he stumbled back a couple steps.

"Malfoy!"

Ginny sniggered slightly as Hermione sat up, rubbing her nose. "Wait… what happened?"

Draco sat down on a plastic chair beside her bed. "You're pregnant."

Hermione's eyes widened, then squeezed shut as if she was in pain. She didn't say anything for a couple seconds, then she took a deep breath. "I know."

"Are you okay?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. It's just… who's the father?"

Ginny cast a glance at Draco, who widened his eyes as if warning her not to make it obvious. "Um… we don't know."

"I never told you?"

"No."

"And the healer couldn't tell?"

"Um… well… I'm sure she could, but-"

"It would be dangerous to tell me." Hermione finished in a dull voice. "I know."

"We want to be able to tell you these things," Draco said.

"If it makes you feel better- we won't ask the healer who the father is. You can find out by yourself and tell us." Ginny offered.

Hermione gave a small smile. "Thanks… it's just… wow. I'm pregnant. I have a baby."

"Yeah."

Then something occurred to her. "How could I have been _so irresponsible_? I'm eighteen!"

Ginny laid a hand on her back. "I'm sure there's some sort of explanation for it."

"Yes, but still!"

"Why don't you go home?" Draco said. "I think you've been through enough today."

"You can stay with us tonight, Hermione." Ginny offered. "If you want to."

"Thanks, that would be nice."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The next morning, Astoria was lying on her bed in the Greengrass Manor, flipping through her copy The Daily Prophet that her house elf had just delivered. A bold heading on the second page caught her eye.

_Hermione Granger Pregnant! _

_The war heroine, who was just revealed to have lost her memory, also unveils the shocking news that she is three months pregnant. How did this happen? Who is the father? And wasn't she locked up at Malfoy Manor three months ago? Rita Skeeter goes to find the answers of these pressing questions. _

_Seamus Finnigan, a close friend of Miss Granger's, says: "We don't know who the father is, but we do know that she definitely was at Malfoy Manor three months ago. I was there." _

_Pansy Zabini (nee Parkinson) claims that "Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley, and Neville Longbottom were the only males in the cell with her at the Manor". _

_Whichever one it was, we're sure that this baby is going to stir up the presses. _

Astoria was ready to crumple up the paper and throw it in the fireplace when an idea struck her. An idea that, quite possibly, could stir up the presses a lot more than any baby.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Ronald Weasley was sitting alone in a small café that afternoon, sipping some tea and reading the paper, when he found the seat before him to be suddenly occupied.

The person in question was a gorgeous blonde, her hair in curls. She was wearing black leggings with a long (rather revealing) red shirt on top. Her heels added a good couple inches onto her height, and her makeup was applied on a slight overload. She smiled her brightly lipsticked lips at him. "Hello Ron."

Ron put his paper down. "And who are you?"

She laughed and held out her hand to shake. "Astoria Greengrass."

"And may I ask what you're doing here?" Ron had heard of the Greengrass family: an old, snobby pureblood family that had been safe during the war.

"Well, I just want to tell you that I know more about you than you may think. See, I was friends with Draco," this was an exaggeration of the truth- she had gotten all her information about Ron from her house elves and other Ministry workers. "and I know you liked Hermione Granger."

Ron turned bright red. "Well, we, er… I was under the impression she liked me."

"I think she did as well. You could just tell."

Ron raised an eyebrow. "And how would you know?"

"I was at Hogwarts too. My sister, Daphne, was in your year."

"Oh… well, I suppose I did like her."

Astoria nodded. "I figured as much. But then Draco came?"

"Yeah…"

"Shame."

"Why's that? They love each other, I was happy for her."

Astoria put on a face of pain. "That's just the thing. You know, about the baby, I want it to have the best father possible."

"I'm sure… _Malfoy_ will make a fine father once Hermione remembers everything."

Astoria looked even more pained. "I suppose I should just come out and say it- Draco never loved Hermione as much as you all thought."

Ron was confused. "That can't be the truth. I saw the two of them, it was like-"

"It was an act," Astoria interrupted. "Well, not at the beginning, but it turned into one. Here, let me explain. He would come over to my house often, and we would talk. He loved Hermione a lot when they first started dating, but after about a month and a half, he grew tired of her. He was going to break it off the day she told him she was pregnant. Now he says he's going to keep faking the whole thing for the sake of the baby."

Ron leaned back in his seat, shocked by this revelation. "You're… you're sure?"

"I'm his friend."

"But that's so… so…"

"UnMalfoylike? Because I don't think it is."

Ron frowned. She was right. It was the exact sort of thing that the Draco Malfoy from school would have done. "I don't understand. Why are you telling all of this to me? Why do I need to know?"

"Well, like I said, I want Hermione's baby to have the best father possible. And I'm just assuming- Draco's the father?"

Ron nodded. "By potion."

Astoria was taken aback by this. "Really? Well, that certainly makes this even easier."

"What are you getting at?"

"I think that, if Draco doesn't honestly love Hermione, and you do- that you should offer to be the father of her baby. After all- she doesn't remember anything."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A/N- Oooo, that Astoria. Cunning Slytherin, she is. REVIEW PLEASE! It encourages me so much to write.

I'm excited for something but I'm not going to tell you what it is unless it happens and then I'll announce it next chapter and I will be so happy! That was probably confusing… REVIEW! Ask questions if anything is unclear. Comment on plot issues. Comment on character issues. Comment on anything!


	4. Risks and Cautions

A/N- Sorry for the wait! Here you go!

Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter.

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Chapter Four- Risks and Cautions

Ron was torn. Very torn. So torn, in fact, that he was eating carrots- raw. The only time Ron Weasley ate health food was at times of extreme stress/trauma. And this time certainly classified as just that.

He wanted the best for Hermione, and despite the fact he did like her, he was going to make his decision based on the good of the baby. And if Draco couldn't do that, he would have to step in… right?

Astoria came off as fake to him, to put in simply. But Ron couldn't say much, as she was a long-time friend of Malfoy's, and they had just recently moved on to friendly speaking terms. The fact that Draco really didn't love Hermione just couldn't be true, but… he really didn't know. He didn't.

Would Ginny and Harry be mad at him? As long as he explained it to them, they would stick up for him. And even Malfoy would be thankful, if he didn't have to take care of Hermione anymore.

Ron only wanted to do the right thing. And he thought that he knew what that was.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Hermione turned to leave for the day (she had stayed late to do inventory) when the bells on her store door tinkled musically as it swung open. She yelled over her shoulder: "We're clos- oh! Ron."

The gangly redhead grinned. "Would you mind if I walked you home today?"

"Sure, why not?" Hermione pulled out her wand, performed a few security charms, then opened the front door. "Let's go."

They walked down the streets, Hermione marveling again at how much damage had been done to Diagon Alley after the war. When it was empty, it seemed more haunting and gaunt- everything was charred by fire or smashed down. Some more popular places had been rebuilt, but their neighbors were dilapidated, some beyond repair.

"It really was that bad, wasn't it?" Hermione asked. "The war?"

"Yes, it was."

"Where were you when it happened? And Harry? As a matter of a fact, how did we lose in the first place? I had had everything planned so perfectly…"

Ron gave her a sad smile. "Can't tell you. Would if I could, but I can't."

Hermione nodded, she had expected that answer.

"But let's not talk about that… I need to talk to you about something else."

Hermione had seldom heard Ron sound so serious. "Yes?"

"It concerns your baby," Hermione gave a sharp intake of breath, "and its well-being."

Hermione nodded again.

Ron took a deep breath. "Well, I just wanted to offer if I could-" he stopped suddenly as the ground began to shake. Both friends looked at the dark night sky, but there was nothing there. The ground shook harder and harder, and Hermione fell to the dirt floor. Ron knelt to pick her up when a large piece of wood came shooting at him from a pile of rubble across the street.

He ducked to avoid being decapitated, but another plank shot across, grazing his arm. Pain shot through like a long knife cut down his skin, and he could feel blood dampening his sleeve. Ignoring the pain, he got up and ran to Hermione again, only to hear a crack from behind.

"The girl!" a voice rasped. "Get the girl!"

There was another crack, and a hooded figure appeared a couple yards before them, then ran towards Hermione. Ron's eyes widened in fear, and Hermione was scrambling to get to her feet. She felt a strong hand grasp her arm and tug, and then another grab her other. The second one tugged her from the other's grasp, and a moment later, she was being squeezed through a tiny tunnel.

Two seconds later she was laying on a carpeted floor, panting heavily.

"Her-my-onee," Ron gasped from across the room. "Are you alright?"

She got up, her head spinning slightly, and looked around- they were in her flat. "Yes, yes, I'm fine, but- what was that?"

"I don't know." Ron said, grimacing slightly in pain.

"Wait- those weren't- those couldn't be… Death Eaters?" Hermione asked, looking at Ron for the first time. Then she spotted a steady drop of blood from his arm. "You're hurt!"

He looked as if he was going to deny it at first, then decided against it. "A bit."

"Let me see that!" Hermione grabbed his arm and led him to the kitchen, where she proceeded to perform a variety of healing charms and conjured up some gauze. "So… what was that you wanted to talk about? Before… _that_ happened?"

"Oh!" Ron had forgotten all about what he was going to ask her. "Well, as you know, we don't know who your baby's father is. But… I was thinking that you do need someone to help. Someone to perhaps be the father he or she can't have."

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. Was he really going to offer what she thought he was? She couldn't deny that she had been waiting for this for a long time.

"And I really like you Hermione, I always have. So I was wondering if… you wanted to…"

Hermione grinned. "I'm not doing anything tomorrow."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Molly Weasley was enjoying a cup of tea with her daughter when the front door of her house burst open and in came Ron with a large bandage on his arm and a smile on his face.

"Ron?" Ginny asked. "What happened?"

"Nothing, nothing," he said giddily.

"Ronald, that arm is not nothing," Molly said.

"Oh!" Ron seemed to just remember his injured limb. "I, er, ran into some Death Eaters."

"You _what_?"

"See, I was walking with Hermione down Diagon Alley, and all the shops were closed. Then the streets started shaking, and two hooded people apparated before us. They levitated some wooden planks and one hit my arm."

Molly stood up. "We've got to tell someone."

"Who're we supposed to tell, mum? Harry and I are some of the best aurors… besides, I can just report it tomorrow."

"He's right. There's no point now, it's nearly twelve," Ginny gestured at the clock, "Anyway, I'm more interested in knowing what you were doing with Hermione."

Ron tinged pink. "Well… it's kind of a long story."

Molly sighed. "Neither I nor your sister could sleep. So you might as well start talking."

"Well, I was getting a bite to eat yesterday when some girl named Astoria Greengrass-"

"Wait- Greengrass?" Ginny interrupted.

"Yeah, do you know them?"

"Of course I do! Astoria was a year below me."

"So she's only sixteen?"

"Yes, but that's not the point. She was awful, her sister too. They were part of Pansy Parkinson's little posse. They could trick anyone into anything for any purpose. Definite Slytherins."

Ron paled a bit. "Trick?"

"Yes. Why- what happened?"

"Well, she told me that Malfoy doesn't really love Hermione."

Molly broke in. "Of course he does!"

"No, no, she said it was an act, he fell out of love with her. And he was just faking it for the sake of the baby."

"That can't be right," said Ginny, "Wouldn't the baby and her memory loss be a perfect excuse for leaving her? He wouldn't be so distraught over the fact she can't remember him if he didn't love her."

"Astoria said he kept faking it so the baby would have a father."

"And you believed her?"

"I still _do_ believe her. Come on, it sounds like the sort of thing Malfoy would do. Fall in love with Hermione and right out again in a couple weeks," Ron insisted. "Anyway, she told me that if I still liked Hermione, which I do, I should maybe step in for Malfoy. So I… asked her out."

"You _what_?" Ginny screamed.

"Ron…" Molly said.

"I can't believe you did that! That's completely taking advantage of the fact she can't remember anything. Malfoy will be as mad as hell at you for this-"

"No, he won't! He doesn't love her!"

"Yes he does, Ron, it's completely obvious," Molly said in a gentle tone. "Just go back, and cancel it."

"He can't!" yelled Ginny.

"Why not?"

"Because Hermione likes him back. Her memory is the same one from a year ago, and I happen to know she liked Ron a year ago. And if you break it off with her, she'll wonder why, and we can't explain to her about Malfoy," Ginny said. "You ruined everything!"

Ron frowned. "I don't believe you. I don't think that Malfoy really loved her anyway."

Ginny stood up. "Or you just want her, and now you're ruining it for both Malfoy and Hermione by getting in the way!" she hissed.

"That is not true!" Ron turned even redder.

"Give me one reason why I should believe it isn't!"

"Ron, Ginny," Molly got up and stood between them. "It's late, we're in a bit of a predicament, and it's obvious we aren't going to reach a conclusion here. So why don't both of you go to bed, and we'll talk tomorrow."

Giving the other a final glare, Ginny and Ron ran upstairs like children. Molly sat back down, sighed, and buried her face in her hands.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

It was Saturday, and Draco had nothing to do. The bookstore was closed on the weekends, so he often would just hang around and do nothing.

He was about to call for his house-elf for breakfast when he felt a lump on his bed. Lifting his sheet, he saw the leather-bound book that Harry and Ron had given him with information on the pregnancy potion. He remembered them saying that it had more information, but he never got around to reading the rest. And what better time to finally read it then when he was bored on a Saturday?

He skimmed down the page and found a heading that read: _Risks and Cautions._ He immediately felt scared.

_The pregnancy potion comes with many risks and cautions. One major one is the fact the fetus cannot be seen until many months into the pregnancy, making it difficult to tell if it is healthy or not, and difficult to tell if you are carrying twins. This can cause complications in many cases. _

_A baby conceived through the pregnancy potion is powerful as far as magic. It is often said that they grow up to be Dark wizards because of how powerful they are. At a very young age they are capable of accidental magic beyond that of a normal child, which can be dangerous. Some even claim it's wandless magic because some of the accidental magic they can perform is remarkable similar to that produced by a spell. _

_Because of how powerful the babies are, and because they are most often twins, deaths are inevitable with the pregnancy potion. In every recorded case of the pregnancy potion, either the mother, the child(ren), or both, will die in childbirth_.

Draco's blood ran cold.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Ron, Ginny, and Harry were gathered in the living room of the Burrow, and were discussing what Ron had done.

Harry sighed. "I believe you, Ron."

"_What_?" Ginny exclaimed. "How?"

"I don't know… it just seems believable. Besides, Astoria is his friend. We're his enemies. Who's going to have more information about him?"

Ginny shook her head. "I just still can't believe it."

"Why don't we just call Malfoy himself?" Harry asked.

Then, as if on cue, the fireplace roared, and Draco walked through. His face was very pale, even more so than usual, and his knuckles were chalk-white from how hard he was gripping the leather-bound book in his hand. He walked towards them and thrust it at Harry. "Read this."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A/N- Hello! Sorry for the shortness of that. Sorry if that was a cliffhanger. :) If you've read any of my other fics, you know I love them.

Could you guys please review? If you haven't so far, could you now? I really want to know how I can fix anything. And constructive crit. is _always_ appreciated. Tell me if you need clarification on anything. And here (I asked this on LV:MM) Tell me an inside joke in a review as well. Thank you!

~Potato


	5. Complications

A/N- "Oops- did I just STUTTER?" "Somebody's goin' down… and it ain't gonna be us!" "Less than three… oh! A heart!" "Hermione can't draw! Hermione can't draw! Hermione cannot draw! She only reads books so she cannot draw, even if she's reading a how-to-draw book!" "I am the coolest girl in the whole wide world!" "You wear diapers? All respectable wizards do." "Harry Freakin' Potter!" "Listen, boys, rule number one: You never tell a girl you like her. It just makes you look like an idiot." "Red Vines: What can't they do?"

OMG A VERY POTTER SEQUEL WAS (yes, here it comes) TOTALLY AWESOME!

I KNOW! This chapter was very late. I am SO sorry. You're going to have to get used to it, I'm still learning how to manage all my new homework. :P

Disclaimer- I do not own Harry Potter, or any of the quotes above- they belong to AVPS.

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Chapter Five- Complicated

"Bloody hell," Ron said quietly. "How much more sodding complicated can this get?"

"_Complicated_? This is beyond _complicated_, Weasley, this is live-and-death!"

Harry read the page again and again, trying to find any loophole. "But… it says here that all recorded cases have had a death. Not every case. Plus, anything can change."

"Potter, stop being a sunny little optimist and realize that this is not just something we can pass off! This is not some fairytale, where she runs into the sunset with her Prince Charming."

At the mention of Prince Charming, three of the four people's eyes widened.

"What?" Draco asked. "Why are we suddenly surprised?"

"It's… it's nothing, I just-"

"BS, Weasley, tell me."

Ginny took a deep breath. "Listen, Draco, before we tell you, let me just clarify that Ron is an idiot."

"Didn't need to tell me that," Draco said under his breath.

"But… well… he kind of asked Hermione out."

There was a moment of silence as he comprehended this. Then-

"You _WHAT_?" Draco roared, leaping up over Ron, who cowered.

"It's a really long story."

Draco fumed. "I don't care what your bloody story is, Weasley, you know very much what was going on between us and just because she forgot does not give you some sort of free pass to go ahead and make a move on her."

Ron leapt up and raised an accusing finger. "That's the thing! You don't- and you can cut the act now, we all know here."

"Know _what_?"

"About your act!"

"What _act_?"

"You don't actually love Hermione!"

There was a long pause as Draco's face turned from anger to comical disbelief. It was one of those '_what?_!' looks. "Where did you get _that _idea?"

Ron swallowed and fell back onto the couch. "I can't tell you."

"Why? What are you hiding?"

"Someone told me, okay? Someone who knows you better than I do. And I trust them more than I trust you."

"Ugh!" Draco fell on the other couch. Then something came to his realization. "Wait a moment, I know what's going on here. You like Hermione, don't you?"

"Well, I did it mostly for her baby, but maybe… a little…"

"Draco, Ron, what's done is done," Ginny said.

"That's the problem!" Draco yelled. "You are such an _idiot_, Weasley!"

"Okay, wait," Harry said. "We can fix this whole relationship problem, but Hermione's life is at stake here."

Draco sighed and sank further into the couch. "I know."

Ginny looked at him sympathetically. "There's got to be a solution. We found this book about the potion in the Manor, there's bound to be one with an antidote in it."

"I doubt it. It says there are no recorded cases when both the mother and the baby survived." Harry said. There were a couple minutes of silence.

"I hate to even suggest this," Ginny started slowly. "But there's always… abortion."

Ron shook his head. "Hermione would never allow it."

"Plus, we'd have to give her some reason why she has to have one, and we can't tell her the truth," Harry said.

"And I bet we wouldn't be able to anyway, we can't even see the fetus, much less be able to access it," Draco said.

Ginny looked close to tears. "So you mean that Hermione is pregnant with her death sentence, dating a man she doesn't love, is in danger of dying at any given moment, and we can't even tell her?"

Then even Draco's eyes couldn't help but water a little bit.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Hermione was reading her newest novel on an armchair, worrying. She knew that her friends were upset about something, about her, and at first she had just dismissed it as her memory issue. But now there was the pregnancy, and Ron suddenly liked her, and she knew for certain that there was more to Draco than met the eye.

She wasn't dumb, and she was beginning to think her friends were forgetting this. Sure, the fact she couldn't remember much was a setback, but she still could figure things out. She could still tell they were hiding more than they should be from her, and she was determined to find out what it was.

She was going to get up to shower when a hollow knock from her flat door. She instantly perked up, she didn't get many visitors. She walked over and opened it, only to reveal a tall blonde woman, who welcomed herself right in.

"Hello, Hermione!"

"Umm… why don't you come in?" Hermione looked at her closely. "Wait- Greengrass, right?"

Astoria nodded. "Yup."

"And… what exactly do you want?"

"Oh, I just heard about you and Ron, and I wanted to say-"

"Wait, how did you know about that?" Hermione gave her a suspicious look.

Astoria smiled. "A little birdie told me. The same one who might have told me you were pregnant… you poor thing."

"Why's that?"

"Ugh, just imagine what the little thing's going to do to your figure… and you don't even know who the father is."

Hermione's expression darkened. "Listen, I have no idea why you're here, but I would appreciate it if you would leave."

Astoria rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Once Astoria left, Hermione sunk into a kitchen chair. _What- was- going- on?_

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The next day Hermione got to her bookshop late, running through the door with windswept hair and slightly red cheeks. But when she flung the door open, she was surprised to find herself face-to-face with Draco, who looked quite anxious.

"Where were you?" he demanded, moving slightly so she could come in.

"I woke up late, my alarm clock didn't ring," she said, looking at him like he wasn't completely sane. "Why? What's the matter?"

"Oh… nothing. Nothing, I'm-" he stopped mid-sentence, staring at her stomach with an odd expression. She had just taken off an overcoat, revealing a tight black blouse. "Are you… is that…"

She looked down, and was surprised to find a slight lump that wasn't there the previous morning. "Oh! Is that the baby?" She put a hand on it almost nervously. "That's… amazing."

Draco nodded, hoping she wouldn't realize that it had formed literally overnight. That was probably one of the side affects of the potion.

"But that came about really quickly…" Hermione frowned at her stomach. "That's odd."

Draco smiled nervously. "Oh, you probably just didn't notice."

Hermione shrugged. "Hm. I'm due for another appointment this evening anyway."

"You are?" Draco said. "Would you mind if I came along? I have something to ask Dorothy anyway."

"Sure," Hermione said. "But for now, could you go clean that mess those toddlers left in the science fiction area yesterday? I never got around to it."

"Oh, yeah, sure." Draco said, turning around and rolling his eyes. The things he did for her.

As he was cleaning discarded cereal bits, she came over and began to rearrange some books.

"So…" he said. "I heard you're going with Weasley on a date."

Hermione blushed slightly. "You heard correctly."

"I suppose you're overjoyed." His tone was dry.

She frowned. "I wouldn't say I'm _that_ happy, but it is very nice."

"What do you see in him, anyway?"

Hermione thought for a moment. "I don't know. He's just doing something nice for me, and…"

Draco looked up at her. "Where's he taking you?"

Hermione frowned at him. "Parsley Garden. And why do you care?"

"I-" He pursed his lips and kept cleaning. "Just wondering."

"Uh-huh," Hermione left to go take care of a customer that had just walked in.

Draco finished cleaning and began to sort through the books in storage, his face tight. All he wanted was to tell her, and he couldn't. He walked over and sat on a cardboard box, then stuffed his hand in his pocket. He felt something cold inside. When he took it out, he found a thin silver chain dangling from his little finger.

He couldn't tell her, but he could help her.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Hey Hermione?" Draco called.

"Yeah?" She leaned out from behind a shelf.

"I have to go pick up something from the Apothecary before I can go to St Mungo's, so why don't you go ahead?"

Hermione nodded. "Sure, just lock up, okay?" She walked over to the floo and smiled. "I've read that it gets dangerous to apparate when you're pregnant. I might not even be able to floo soon…" Then she stepped inside and twirled away.

Draco sighed and left the shop. He ran across the street to the Apothecary, where he got his latest dose of medication for his cuts. Although they were no longer visible to the eye, he could feel them throbbing sometimes.

Then he squeezed his eyes shut and apparated to the hospital.

By the time he got there, Dorothy had finished the main part of the checkup and was scribbling on her clipboard. Hermione was sitting with a very puzzled, and slightly worried, expression on her face.

Draco rushed in. "What's wrong?"

Dorothy just raised her eyebrows as she continued taking notes. Hermione answered for her. "They can't see the baby at all still. It's beginning to worry me, how are we supposed to know it's healthy?"

Dorothy put a hand on her shoulder. "I told you, it probably has something to do with the lightning… or, who knows, you could just be different. After all, you never told anyone who the father was, so we have no idea what caused this pregnancy. There are other ways, Ms Granger, in the wizarding world."

Hermione crinkled her brows farther. "Really? I've never heard of those."

"They're very rare and complicated, I only recently found out about them." Draco drew a finger across his throat when Dorothy said this, signaling that she was saying too much.

"Is everything else okay?" Draco asked.

"Yes, it is, she's perfectly healthy in any other aspect other than her unusual pregnancy, her lightning bolt shock, and her memory issue… which kind of makes it sound like she's not healthy at all."

Hermione smiled. "I'm fine."

"So that would be it, Miss Granger… you're free to go."

"Okay- bye!" She got up, charmed her clothes back on, and left. Draco followed her.

Once in the hallway, Draco was surprised to find that Hermione had stalked ahead, fists clenched at her sides.

"Hermione!" he ran ahead, slowing down at her side. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" she asked. "What's wrong? Gee, Draco, I don't know. Maybe the fact I'm pregnant with a baby I can't even see?"

"Hermione, I-"

"Save it," she said. He could clearly see the tears leaking out of the corners of her eyes. "One second I'm seventeen and in the middle of a war, the next I'm nineteen, pregnant, friends with Draco Malfoy, and nobody will tell me anything! I've sucked it up for long enough, Draco, I'm scared!"

Draco searched her face, trying to think of what to do. Then, not finding anything else to do, her stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a hug.

He could feel her shaking frame stiffen slightly as he enveloped her, she was evidently surprised by his unMalfoylike action. But a moment later, she seemed to give in and awkwardly rested there.

He was about to let go of her when he felt her jerk roughly. He stepped back and watched as she dropped to the ground.

Hermione hit the floor and shuddered. _Suddenly, she was cold, very cold, and it was dark. Someone was holding her. She looked around- a dungeon. Then-_

She spun back and her eyes snapped open, and she squinted at the white-washed walls of St. Mungo's. Draco was kneeling before her.

"What was it?" he asked. "What did you see?"

Hermione stood up and shook her head. Her face was pale white. Those arms were familiar… but who was it? And why did Draco trigger it?

She looked up at his anxiously waiting eyes, and for some reason, panicked.

"I… I have to go."

And Draco watched with a bewildered expression as she darted out of the hospital doors.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A/N- Oooo… I have something interesting coming up, you guys might be slightly overwhelmed. I am, and I'm writing this thing.

Anywho, I actually started writing the next chapter before I posted this one- aren't you proud of me? I never do that, so you might be able to see a new chapter up soon. The plot is starting to speed up now.

So yeah… review! Review, tell me about anything! The story, the plot, AVPM, AVPS, or sympathize with me and my homework. :)

Thanks!

~Potato


	6. Another Chapter

A/N- You know, I was reading my other chapters, and I think I'm rushing when I'm writing. So I'm trying to slow down a little bit, tell me if I succeeded. :)

Why was this chapter late, you ask? Well, I actually got it beta'd! Aren't you proud of me? Thank you again to **the Darkdesire**, who is my permanent beta for this story. Go check out her work. :)

UPDATED A/N- Reposted this chapter, I made a mistake with the Death Eaters. I COMPLETELY missed an important plot point. O.O Oops.

Disclaimer- Cheesy line time: Draco and Hermione don't belong to me- they belong with each other. :) Aww… so sweet I'm gagging…

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Chapter 6- Another Chapter

Mulciber, from the grimy little corner he was forced into, could see a black silhouette suddenly appear in the mouth of the cave. "Did you get her?"

Rodolphus Lestrange stepped inside, a limp body in his hands. "Evidently."

Mulciber grimaced at the foul stench the body emitted. Three months alone at Malfoy Manor had done nothing for Narcissa Malfoy's health. Her blonde hair was frayed and filled with dirt, and her face was gaunt and pale. Her breaths were short and quick, as though she could stop at any given moment.

Rodolphus dropped the body onto the ground. "The Dark Lord cast spells, keeping her alive. I have no idea what they were."

Mulciber sneered at the body, then looked at Rodolphus. "You wouldn't believe them the other night. Three or four of them tried to attack Weasley and Granger right there, in Diagon Alley," he shook his head. "Idiots. They failed of course."

Rodolphus sneered. "We'll get them eventually. Draco will do anything for his mother."

"If we don't get the boy to bring Granger to us soon, she'll have the babies," Mulicber curled his upper lip. "The Dark Lord warned us."

"That he did. But do you really think we'd fail? She's forgotten all about their relationship, and if we threaten his mother's life, he'll welcome us to her flat with open arms."

"It seems as if things are actually working out for us."

"Finally."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Draco ran out of the hospital door and into the rain, feeling déjà vu from

the day he chased her out of her flat but when he got out to the street,

Hermione was gone.

He sighed, and began to walk with his head down, letting his hair soak in the rain. He was so close to just breaking-to just deciding to tell her everything. It was probably safer than letting her give birth. At least there was a chance at survival with her memory condition but the pregnancy was far worse. He was about to apparate away when he heard a loud cry from behind him.

"Draco!"

It was followed by the clicking of heels. Draco turned around, only to come face-to-face with a large pink umbrella, and when it was jerked up, it revealed none other than Astoria Greengrass.

"Hey Astoria," Draco said tiredly.

"Hi! I was just out for a stroll, and I saw Hermione Granger out here, running away and crying. What happened?" Astoria smiled innocently. "She's not angry at you, is she?"

Draco sighed. "Memory stuff. She's upset we can't tell her anything."

"Oh…" Astoria said sympathetically. She moved closer to him, shielding him from the rain with her umbrella. "Want to talk about it?"

"I…" Draco sighed again. "I don't know."

"Oh well…I know how frustrated I get when I don't know something or can't do something even though I desperately want to. I just thought I would help you out."

Draco thought for a moment before abruptly saying, "She's going out with Ron this weekend too, and-"

"Is she really? Where to?"

"Parsley Garden or something… what an awful name for a restaurant…"

"Oh really? They're going there? I was too this weekend… but the guy called and just canceled on me." Astoria put on a pathetically sad face.

Draco looked at her awkwardly. Then he realized something. This might be opportunity knocking on the door- he could keep an eye on Ron and Hermione, and maybe she'd be jealous of him and Astoria… who knows? "Hey Astoria- would you like to go this Saturday? I hate it when people cancel on me, and-"

"Really?" she squealed. "Of course! Thanks!"

"Just as friends, though."

"Yes, of course!" Astoria sighed dramatically. "Thank you. I was so torn up about that guy and-"

"Yeah, okay, you're welcome," Draco looked at the watch on his wrist that wasn't there. "It's getting late… I'll see you Saturday then?"

"Of course! Thank you again…"

But she was drowned out as Draco apparated away.

Astoria grinned at the place where Draco had just left. "We might be going as friends, but I'll see to it that we leave as much more."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Hermione doubled over, breathless, in front of the doors of the Burrow. Groping her hand up the wall, she barely found the doorbell. A moment later, the door swung open and a groggy looking Ginny appeared. "Hermione?"

Hermione staggered through the door. "Just… ran… all the way… here."

Ginny looked at her apprehensively. "From where?"

"St Mungo's."

"You _what_?"

"Dorothy, my healer, said I shouldn't apparate while pregnant, so I ran!"

Hermione lowered herself onto a chair. "I… used a speeding charm and one that prevents jostling, don't worry…. but still…"

"Why… what…"

"I-"

A loud thumping interrupted her as Ron came down the stairs. "What's going on?"

"Hermione just ran here from St Mungo's." Ginny said.

"What? Why?" Ron pulled up a chair and sat down. "It's late, everyone's asleep."

"I… I was with Draco for my appointment… and I got a flashback…"

Ginny sent Ron a little glance.

"Can I ask you a question?" Hermione asked.

Ginny nodded. "Sure."

"Back in the period I can't remember… was I ever locked up? In like a dungeon or something? And… was someone there?" Hermione looked up at them pathetically.

Ron looked at his sister, who shrugged. "Well… yes. You were. And there were people there. Why?"

Hermione paled. "Can you tell me who?"

"Me, Ginny, Harry, Luna, Neville, and Draco."

So the person who had embraced her in the flashback could've been Harry, Ron, or Neville. It wasn't necessarily Draco. "Can you tell me why we were there?"

"Um… no. I don't think so. I don't know if it's something you can handle just yet, Hermione."

"Hermione, what did you see?" Ginny asked. "And why did you run away? Where's Draco?"

"I'd like to know why you're the one asking me all the questions. I'm the one who doesn't know anything at all, not you."

Ginny grimaced. "I know."

There was a long pause. "I ran away because… because I was confused over the flashback. I left Draco at the hospital. Who knows where he is now." Hermione sighed.

"Hermione, what did you see?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head. "I'd rather not say." She breathed in deeply, then let it out. "I'll be going home now. Where's your floo?"

"Wait- Hermione-" Ron said. "Could I talk to you?"

Hermione frowned. "Yeah, sure." She watched as Ginny shot her brother a sharp look, and he just shook his head.

"Um, over here." Ron led her into the kitchen, lit a couple candles, and sat at the table. Hermione studied his face. He looked confused, upset, and at a loss for what to do. He looked more tired and stressed than he ever had before- Ron Weasley had grown up. "Listen… about asking you out… See, I do really like you. A lot, actually. But I just want to say that you don't need to feel obligated to… er… return the feelings. You aren't Hermione from now. You're Hermione from over a year ago, and you really did change a lot."

"That's just the thing," Hermione said. "I've changed a lot, but I can't remember. I don't know."

Suddenly, her chest tightened. She gasped, and toppled off of her chair. Next thing she knew, she was back in a dark, grimy room.

_"That's the thing," Hermione said. "I don't know."_

_"You don't know?" Ron said. "But you're Hermione Granger! Top of our class! You know everything!"_

_"I have no idea about this one though… I didn't exactly get to- "_

_"Merlin!" Hermione spun around. It was Draco._

Hermione's eyes snapped open. She was gasping hard. "What happened? What did you see?" Ron was leaning over her, his hands on her shoulders.

Hermione squinted and tried to get up, only to feel a sharp pain in her chest. "Ah!"

"What is it?"

She pointed to her chest, "Hurts…"

Ron searched her face. "Can you get up?" he asked concerned.

She tried again, only to fall back down. "Ow…help me up," she groaned.

Ron gripped one of her shoulders and placed a hand on her back, helping push her up. She couldn't feel her feet; they were numb. He wrapped his hands around her and carried her back to her chair.

Then she noticed something. It didn't feel the same, being in Ron's arms. It wasn't the same as being in Draco's. She couldn't quite pinpoint why she felt the difference though.

Ron lowered her into the chair. "Are you okay?"

Hermione shook her head. "I can't feel my feet."

"Ginny!" Ron called. A moment later, Ginny slid the door open to the kitchen.

"What?"

"She had a flashback, she's having chest pains and she can't feel her feet," he informed her.

Ginny gasped. "Oh God," she rushed over to Hermione and took out her wand. "Let me try a Stinging Spell on your feet, it always works when mine fall asleep." She whispered the incantation, and a moment later Hermione sighed in relief.

"Thank you."

"Is your chest okay?"

"Yeah… I think so."

Ginny then moved onto the topic that interested her most. "What did you see?"

"I was in the same room, and it was dark and grimy. I was talking about how I didn't know something, and Ron was amazed that I actually didn't know something. Then Draco discovered something on the wall. And then I left. You were all there."

Ron looked at Ginny. "Was that in the-"

Ginny nodded.

"Right before we-"

"Yeah."

"How do you even know what I'm about to say?"

Ginny shrugged, then looked at Hermione warningly. "Hermione, you're staying here tonight."

"No arguments there." Hermione heaved herself her up, then looked at the two redheads. "I'm just going to try one more time- why were we in a cold dark dungeon, what didn't I not know, and what did Draco find on that wall?"

Ron smiled. "Sorry, Hermione."

Hermione sighed. "Well, worth a try." Then she turned, left the kitchen, and

walked up the stairs to the Weasley's guest room.

Ginny nudged her brother. "What were you talking to her about?"

"I thought about what Draco said. And despite the fact I still think he's lying, I know that Hermione loved him, and I know that she's going to find out that those babies are his. So I told her that she doesn't need to feel obligated to… return my feelings or anything. I've been really immature about the whole thing," Ron sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Ginny put a hand on his shoulders. "That's really great of you, Ron."

"Yeah, well, damn my conscience, eh?"

Ginny chuckled, and then they both turned to go upstairs as well.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Hermione floo'd into the bookshop early the next morning, two coffees in hand. She was sipping out of one, and put the other on her desk.

The brunette was about to get to work when there was whirl in the fire and

Draco popped out. He looked tired.

Hermione smiled weakly and grabbed the coffee. "I… I'm sorry about yesterday. I was just really scared."

Draco took the coffee and sniffed it warily. "How'd you know what kind of coffee I like?" he asked, looking hopeful.

"Attention to detail."

Draco smiled, but seemed disappointed. "Thanks."

Hermione looked at him closely. After a few moments of debating whether or not to question him, she asked, "Were we ever in a dungeon?"

Draco bit his lower lip. "Is that what you saw at St Mungo's?"

"There and at the Burrow. I went there afterwards. Something I said when I was talking to Ron triggered it…"

"You were talking to Ron?"

"Yeah…"

"What did he say?"

Hermione looked at him warily. "Just about Saturday. He was making sure we were still going and he also… he said that I shouldn't feel obligated to like him, because I apparently have changed since I was seventeen. Whatever that's supposed to mean."

Draco smiled wide as he took a large gulp of his coffee. "Perhaps he's not such an idiot after all," he took a moment to think about it. "Naw… he still is." Then he turned around to start working.

Hermione threw her hands up. "Again- not following this conversation!"

Draco looked at her. "Let's just put it this way- hopefully, you'll

Understand someday. And you'll just be thinking that Ron Weasley is a huge idiot. About your memory- yes, we were in a dungeon. It's really great that you're remembering that."

Hermione nodded. "I know it is."

They worked in silence, taking care of a few customers when Draco suddenly gasped.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"The dungeon… I wonder… Hermione, could you come over to Malfoy Manor once we close today?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A/N- I actually have nothing else to say, other than I wrote yet another one-shot (Cliché). So go check that out…

Review!


	7. Family

A/N- TWO IMPORTANT NOTES: One- **I changed my pen name** to potato4. It was necessary, I'm really sorry. Keep in mind that whenever I change my pen name, it will always have the word 'potato' and the number '4' in it. I'll only change it when necessary.

Two- I made an update to the conversation with the Death Eaters last chapter. **PLEASE go read** it, it's only a couple sentences, but I was really stupid and forgot a key plot point. Oops.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

"Draco! Ow-" Hermione cried as she was literally dragged across the halls of Malfoy Manor. "Where are we going?"

"I told you, we're going to the dungeon," Draco said as he tugged her hand harder. They dashed across lavishly decorated, but heavily dust-covered, halls. Hermione coughed as a dose of dust caught in her nose. Draco sharply turned, then abruptly stopped and backtracked. Hermione doubled over as he ran into her.

"Oh, sorry!"

Hermione sighed. "I'm fine. Why did we stop?"

Draco pointed across the hall at a large pair of double doors. Hermione frowned at him. "And…?"

Draco's face fell. "Nothing?"

Hermione shook her head. "Nothing."

He pulled out his wand and pulled the doors open. Hermione looked, and saw that it was full of books- the Manor's library. She looked back at him. "Nothing."

"Oh well…" he grabbed her hand again, and started running.

A minute later, they arrived (breathless) in front of a large steel door. Draco flicked his wand, and it banged open. It smelled inside of rotting meat and stale air. Hermione gulped. "Do I want to know what your family would use this for?"

Draco ignored her. "Lumos!" The dungeon lit up and Hermione could see a dozen cages lined against the walls. They were grimy and covered in mold.

Hermione looked at them apprehensively. "What are we doing here?"

"Nothing? You don't remember anything?" Draco looked at her face closely.

She shook her frizzy hair.

He hung his head and walked to one of the nearest cells, tracing the walls. "You don't recognize-"

Hermione gasped. "Wait! Is this the cell we were locked in…in my memory?"

Draco nodded vigorously. "I was kind of hoping…" he drifted off.

"More would come back to me?"

Draco nodded again but this time he was looking at the floor. Hermione wanted to approach him, but found the whole situation awkward. "I'm really sorry."

Draco looked up at her. "It's fine, it's not your faul-"

"Miss Hermione!" A loud squeaky voice came from the door of the dungeon. Hermione suddenly felt something wrapping itself around her legs. Hermione looked down to find a small body- a house elf.

"Poky?"

Draco looked at her with confused eyes. "You know Poky?"

"Yeah… your house-elf…" Hermione looked at the small creature, whose eyes were watering with joy.

"I remember Miss Hermione, she was here during the Second Wa-" Poky stopped and slapped a hand over her mouth. "I said nothing."

Draco was still fixated on Hermione. "How did you remember who Poky was?" he insisted.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't know. I just remember who she is- now what was that you said?" She leaned down to Poky.

"I said nothing! I said nothing!" Poky cowered.

"What did she say?" Hermione confronted Draco, who mimicked zipping his lips.

"Tell me how you remember Poky and I'll tell you what she said."

Hermione sighed. "I don't know how I remembered Poky, I don't even know how I know her. I just saw her, and knew who she was."

Draco furrowed his brow. "Does that mean she could remember things without the flashbacks?" he murmured.

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "What did Poky say?"

Draco sighed. "The Second War. You were here during the Second War. I told her not to tell you anything about it in case you ever came here."

"Really? This is where I was during the Second War?" Hermione walked up to the cell and slid a finger down the rusty bars of the cell. "Why wasn't I with Harry?"

"I can't say."

"Oh," Hermione looked upset for a moment, then spun around and looked at Poky. "Why was I here during the war?"

Poky shook her head. "I can't tell you, I'm very sorry."

"Ah, well…" Hermione walked back to Draco. "Why does she speak in first person?"

"You taught her," he said simply.

Hermione looked mildly surprised. "Did I really spend that much time here?"

_Yes, you were here for a month after the war!_ "Um, yes, there was no room at the Burrow, so you were here until you got your own flat." Draco pulled at the collar of his shirt. "It's rather gross down here, do you want to go back up?"

Hermione nodded. "I don't exactly like this place, it makes me feel… well, rather like I'm empty of emotion." She thought about it for a moment. "It's a rather strange-"

_She felt odd, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was that was wrong. It_

_was like a thick layer of fog was separating her current mind from the rest of_

_Hermione. There was a side of her that she couldn't quite remember, like it_

_wasn't really there. She knew that she could, under normal circumstances,_

_express her emotions but, but she couldn't really express those emotions in_

_this scenario._

_Draco Malfoy had popped the tiniest hole in that fog, though. When she saw_

_him, it was like a burning fire was lit in the pit of her tummy. She wanted_

_to smack him, curse him, jinx him, hurt him. She knew he was annoying, maybe_

_evil, but her mind couldn't react to those memories. She couldn't really_

_feel anything. It was like the processing circuit connecting one part of her mind_

_to another had been cut off. She was emotionless._

Hermione woke up on the floor, a sharp throbbing in her head. "Again? _Really_?"

Draco appeared above her. "What did you see?"

"Ah yes, no 'are you okay' or 'are you about to die'. Everyone wants to know what I saw," Hermione leaned back and sat against the wall of the dungeon, then paused for a moment so she could rub her sore head. "I was in a bathtub, and I didn't have any emotion. I was kind of in a fog."

Draco looked interested. "Way back then… you remember from way back then…"

Hermione looked up at him. "Was that from here?"

"Yes."

"Oh…" She got up, and marveled at her arms. "That went well, I can breathe perfectly fine, all of my limbs are intact, and I can make them all move!"

"Wonderful, wonderful… well, I do believe that was enough for today," Draco said. "I'll just be taking you home then."

"Thanks."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

After her master had left, Poky ran back up the stairs and entered the Manor kitchen, where her fellow elves were preparing dinner for themselves. "Miss Hermione and Master Draco were here! Together!" she sang.

Jinxle turned around. "Really? Does Miss Hermione remember herself?"

Poky shook her head solemnly. "No… but she is having those flashbacks."

"Maybe if she remembers, Master Draco can stop being sad. I had enough of him being sad when he was young," Fallow stopped mixing his soup and joined in on the conversation.

Jinxle lit up, and leaned in like she had a secret. "Don't tell Master Draco I told you, but one night I walked into his room to bring him some tea, and I saw him clutching that necklace- you know, the one Poky helped him pick out, the one he gave Miss Hermione- and I actually saw him cry."

Fallow shook his head as he walked back to the stove to check on his soup. "He never used to cry. She changed him, she did. For the better, though."

"If only she knew how much she's hurting him," Poky said with a sigh. "I heard she's going on a… what was the word…"

"A date?" Jinxle supplied.

"Yes, that. With another man, though."

They all just sighed and began to work again. Then Poky stopped, and looked at Jinxle. "You said he has that necklace?"

Jinxle nodded. Poky smiled, a gleam in her wide eye. "Perhaps we can get that back to her…"

Fallow shook his head. "We cannot steal from Master Draco."

"But it is for his own good! He would be happy if it brought back memories to Miss Hermione," Poky tried to make the situation sound better. "He gave it to her on their anniversary, I think."

"Is that not the day she lost her memory as well?" Jinxle asked.

Poky grinned. "Yes… perhaps we could bring this whole situation full circle…"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The next week went by quickly. It was fairly uneventful in every way. Draco and Hermione worked in the bookstore as usual, and both were completely content as Friday came around again. Draco- because he hated working and Hermione- because work was getting harder as the months progressed her pregnancy. She was rapidly growing larger. Hermione was about to leave when Draco called out. "Wait!"

"Yes?"

"I kind of forgot to tell you, but I scheduled a healer appointment today." Draco looked at her sheepishly.

Hermione groaned. "It's been a week, honestly!"

"You never know… today could be the day we could finally see them."

She sighed. "Fine. I'll go."

Draco smiled as he tossed a handful of floo dust into the fire, and she stepped in. "St. Mungo's!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Draco waited outside the hospital room. Hermione had banished him once they started the scan, much to his dismay. He had been waiting out there for a long time now.

The receptionist, who was waiting behind her desk with a bored expression, looked at him. "Did she kick you out?"

Draco turned around. "Well… kind of."

"Why?"

"That's Hermione Granger in there," he jerked his thumb towards the door as it those words explained everything.

Evidently they did. The receptionist's mouth formed a little 'o'. "And you're Draco Malfoy… I read about you in the Prophet."

Draco nodded.

"You poor dear… and she doesn't remember a single thing?"

"Not really. It's… well, it's complicated."

"Miss her?"

"More than anything you could ever imagine."

Just then, the door swung open. Dorothy stepped out. She was wearing a large smile, and her curly hair was bouncing. "Come in Mr. Malfoy, come in!"

Hermione lay on the bed in an unattractive hospital robe. Her eyes were bright and tears were forming. Draco walked over and stood by her side. Subconsciously, he grabbed her hand and interlaced his fingers in hers. Hermione didn't take particular notice. It seemed almost normal to her.

Dorothy pointed to the black and white screen, where you could make out two little bodies. "I don't know what changed, or what happened, but we can see them now."

Draco looked at the tiny little things. They didn't look like babies, not even humans, but he felt so warm inside at the sight of them. There was a slight tug in his chest as well. He was so happy, yet so sad, to see them. Those were his babies, but… but they could potentially kill the woman he loved.

Hermione looked up at him, eyes watering in joy, and he temporarily forgot all about his worries. She gripped his hand harder. "Those are my children, Draco. _My family_."

Draco nodded slowly, and in a tone so quiet he could barely hear himself, he whispered, "Our family."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The man scampered into the cave. His spindly limbs gave him the look of a spider. "Six o'clock tomorrow night. Parsley Garden."

Rodolphus nodded. "Both of them?"

"Yes."

"Ah…" Rodolphus twirled his wand. "Then do we go for the girl, or for the boy?"

"I would capture the girl. She will be vulnerable," the man scampered closer.

"And if we fail…" he thrust a note into Rodolphus's hand. "I wrote this."

Rodolphus skimmed it. "Ah… this will do, I suppose." He threw it back at the man. "Then tomorrow, we strike."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A/N- Sorry this chapter was short. :( I want to thank again my beta, theDarkdesire!

You might want to read this: (Unless you already saw it on one of my other fics.)

Okay, here's the news: I'm starting a little fic contest! Winner will get a dedicated one-shot by me! Yay! And the author will get a mention in my stor(ies). Here are the requirements:

Ship- Must have some Dramione (duh). Other ships are allowed, no slash please.

Rating- T and below. No smut, no lemons, no limes, no M content whatsoever. Please. Language is okay, but don't go overboard.

Length- Can be any length. One-shot or multi-chapter, I don't care.

Must include **at least three** of the following- ~The phrase "Skipping in a manly way."~ ~Hot chocolate~ ~An argument of some sort~ ~Shocking news~ ~Postal services~ ~the Internet~ ~An obsession with something completely ordinary~ ~A film~ ~Running out of napkins~ ~Shoes~

Other- Can be a songfic. I enjoy stories with other characters included besides the pairing. Hint hint. Keep in mind that a good story (usually oneshots in this case) does not _need_ a make-out session at the end. You may enter a story you've already started as long as you include some of the things listed above in later chapters.

Deadline- All entries must be sent in **completed (if a one-shot)** or **at least with five chapters (if a multi-chapter)** by November 1st. PM me the link. :)

Thank you all! I really hope you enter this, I want some good reads!

~Potato


	8. Chapter 8 UNBETA'D

A/N- I'm not going to ramble. I know it's been forever. And I'm not really going to apologize because I have A LIFE you know, and… yeah…

Well, the thing with this fic is that I've realized it kind of sucks. I can see its appeal, because it's so drama-tized and all, but it's really unrealistic. I'm not going to discontinue, because that would be mean, but I'm just trying to tell you that this is not my first priority. Actually, it's my last. This fic WAS a serious-writing outlet for me when I was sick of my humor fics, but I've recently started an original piece that is rapidly draining my writing time. Sorry, folks, I don't write for you. And quite honestly, I'm sick of feeling obligated to get chapters out on a semi-weekly basis.

Sorry if that sounded mean, I just needed to rant. :) I really still appreciate you guys, because as an afterthought, you all really help me write, with all of your encouragement. XD

Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter.

**UPDATED NEW AN- This chapter is UNBETA'D. My beta was not sending the chapter back soon enough and I really wanted it out already. I will be reposting when she sends it and you will be getting a new alert email if I do. **

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Chapter 8- Not the Best First Date

Hermione picked up her napkin and dabbed her lip nervously. Why had Ron taken her somewhere so… fancy? It wasn't like him at all. But across the blindingly white tablecloth, she could see him fidgeting even more than she was.

"So, do you like your… er… water?" Ron asked, his face turning red.

Hermione laughed. "Ron, loosen up. This is just a little date between… friends?"

Ron nodded. "Just- yeah. Sure."

She fingered with the hem of her gold dress as she scanned the menu. The dress had been a daring choice, but Ginny insisted.

-.-.

Across the restaurant, in a booth where he could only see her if Hermione craned his neck into an increasingly uncomfortable position, Draco was sitting next to Astoria, who kept scooting a little too close.

"So, Astoria, how are you doing tonight?"

Astoria simpered and sat in a position in which he could have a great view of her plunging neckline, a view that he awkwardly tried to avoid. "I'm great, Draco."

"Hm. Well, what are you thinking about eating?"

She frowned into a pout. "I was thinking some salad. Nothing with calories."

"Astoria, everything you eat has calories."

She made a little "o" with her lips. "Then nothing with _too many_ calories."

Draco slumped into his seat a bit. What was with girls and calories? Then again, Hermione never worried about calories, because she actually owned comfortable shoes she could exercise in, quite unlike Astoria's 'so-high-I-could-stab-you' heels.

-.-.

"-and Ron, it's just that I don't know if yellow is a very good color for a baby's room, I heard that certain colors influence the way that they-"

"Is that _Malfoy_?"

Hermione clamped her mouth shut after Ron interrupted her baby room rant. "Excuse me?"

"I swear I saw his hair over there." He pointed across the room.

Hermione swatted down his hand and pondered this. "No one has hair like his. But I doubt he'd be here, he knows we're on a da… Oh, he _wouldn't _have."

"Have what?" Ron asked.

She closed her eyes. "Nothing- just, if he is here, we don't do anything unless he comes over here."

Ron shrugged and took a sip of his drink. "I probably was mistaken. Why would Malfoy be here?"

"Oh, I could name quite a few reasons," Hermione muttered under her breath.

-.-.

Draco looked distastefully down at Astoria, who was rambling on about her job, her new dress, her puppy, the quality of her food, her opinion on the new Minister, her _everything_. He knew that women liked to talk about themselves, but she took that to a whole new level. He hadn't been able to get a word in for the last ten minutes.

After another painstaking couple minutes of listening to Astoria rant about Witch Weekly's article on the red carpet, he got up.

"Excuse me, but I think that the drink I ordered is making me sick to my stomach. I'm going to go use the loo." Draco pretended to clutch his stomach in pain and swelled his cheeks like he was gagging.

Astoria cringed. "Of course, take all the time you need."

-.-.

Hermione and Ron had just gotten their food and were beginning to eat when a man staggered by. He walked past them, faked a double take, and reversed his steps back to their table.

"Oh, hi Hermione," Draco said. He grinned and began to walk away again.

Hermione glared. "Draco. Come."

Draco again reversed his steps back. "Yes?"

Hermione thought about what to say. "Can we… um… have a little conversation outside?"

"Sure," Draco said.

Hermione looked apologetically at Ron. "We'll be right back."

She grabbed Draco's upper arm and dragged him across the room to the back exit, wretched the door open, and stared. "Explain yourself."

"I was just on a date."

"Don't treat me like I'm stupid. Stop being overprotective, Ron's just here as a friend, you don't need to come watch me."

Draco sighed. "Astoria invited me, honestly. She got a date canceled and we rescheduled. It all happened rather… conveniently."

Hermione scoffed. "Right… why are you here with Astoria?"

"I really can't answer that."

"Just needed an excuse to come here?"

"…pretty much."

"Or was it some date your mum planned up. Astoria is a pureblood."

Draco's face drained of all color and he staggered back so far that he fell onto the back steps.

Hermione's frown softened. "What?" He shook his head, but she persisted, and sat next to him. "What did I say?"

"My mum," he said. "The whole reason we met last year was because I was trying to save her from Voldemort. He had captured her, and I thought that after he died… we could've saved her. But we never did find her."

Hermione put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. Do you think we could find her now?"

Draco sighed. "I've been so worried about you, and the other Death Eaters, I almost forgot about her. I suppose she's somewhere in their clutches, or… dead." He bit his lower lip so hard he tasted blood.

"If it helps any, I know how you feel. My parents are still somewhere in Australia. They don't know I exist," she shook her head. "I'm just going to keep them there, until everything's sorted out, you know?"

Just then, the back door opened and Ron stepped out, almost tripping on the people sitting before him on the steps. "What're you guys doing out here?"

Draco and Hermione quickly stood up. "I…" Hermione started. "I thought Draco was here to ruin our date so I just needed to talk to him."

Ron looked at Draco suspiciously. "Hm."

"I'll just go inside now." Draco nodded his head in goodbye and returned into the building.

Hermione smiled at Ron. "Let's just go back inside n-"

"I don't think so."

Hermione spun around to see who had interrupted her. A collection of shadowed men stood in the alleyway behind the restaurant. She pulled out her wand. "Who are you?"

"Don't even try it," the hooded man in front said. "Step over here now."

Ron shook his head. "Step back now. I'm Ron Weasley, certified level four Auror for the Ministry of-"

"_AVADA KEDAVRA_!"

Ron ducked to avoid the spell. "What the hell? You psychos!"

Hermione ran. "Less talking, more fighting- _EXPELLIARMUS_!" One wand flew through the air and whizzed past her face. She didn't bother to catch it. She examined the men quickly. There were six of the Death Eaters (at least that's what she thought they were) and two of them. "_Stupefy_!"

"_Crucio_!" She heard Ron scream in pain, but she ignored it and continued to shoot spells at the Death Eaters. She succeeded to disarm two of them, and stun one. Ron had stunned one before they began to crucio him.

Finally, there was only one torturing Ron and one a few feet away. He wasn't moving. Just standing there. Hermione had her wand pointed at him warily. "Who are you? What do you want?"

He chuckled coldly. "You, of course."

"Why are you here?"

"You really don't know, do you?" He laughed again. "You and Draco… you were inseparable. Now you carry that baby. I can't say I'm surprised." He started to move closer to her, and she wanted to hex him, but she also desperately wanted him to keep talking. He could reveal the truth that the rest hid from her. "You want to know, don't you? What happened between you and Draco? You want to know… were you really just friends? Who's the father of your babies? Why will we go to any end to capture you?"

He was just a few feet away now. It would be so easy to stun him. She couldn't hear Ron's screams any more. All she could focus on was what this man was going to tell her. "Draco…" His voice was so quiet, so low, she had to strain her ears to hear him. "…loved you."

And that was it. She fell.

It was the weirdest flashback. She couldn't see anything at all. She could feel, taste, and hear, but she couldn't see.

_It smelled musty, just like a library. She felt as if she was being pressed against a wall. Two hands were gripping her shoulders. Then there was a rough whisper in her ear. "One good reason? Because I love you." _

Then there were lips touching hers, the world spun, and she was back on the steps of the restaurant.

A man stood in front of her. "Bloody hell Granger, you honestly can't stay out of trouble, can you?"

"Draco!" she practically screamed. "There were Death Eaters, and Ron, and flashbacks, and… and…" She trailed off as she watched him turn his head, and he paled considerably. "What is it?"

"Stay here," he said gruffly. "Don't move, your heart is racing."

She strained to watch as he walked to where Ron had been tortured. She noticed that all the Death Eaters were gone. "When did you come back?"

He ignored her and shook his head at something on the ground. Then he slipped something into his pocket.

"What is it, Draco?"

He walked back and showed her a piece of parchment.

_This is the last thing you'll see of Weasley. The price to pay for not obliging. _

Hermione gasped. "What… what did they leave?"

"Blood." Draco whispered.

She shook her head as tears began to fall. "I should've gone with them."

"It's alright," he reassured her. "We'll find him."

"No we won't!" she screamed in anger. "We have your mother, my parents, my memory, my babies, the rest of the Death Eaters to worry about. It's all too much."

"Hermione-"

"Stop!" she sobbed. "It's too much."

Draco looked angry now. "Hermione, stop." When she didn't, he grasped her upper arm. "You're coming home with me."

"No!" she wretched her arm away. "I can't apparate."

"Fine then, we'll floo inside the restaurant." Draco threw the back door open, and they looked a mess compared to the white tables and walls of the eatery. "I need a floo, this woman is injured!"

Murmurs flooded the room. Some people stared at Hermione as she gasped for breath, and a couple women shook their heads when they saw her obvious pregnant stomach.

Ignoring Astoria's cries of 'what's going on?', Draco dragged Hermione to a waitress, who took them to the kitchen, where a fireplace was waiting.

"Do you need to go to St Mungo's sir?" she asked.

Draco shook his head and took a fistful of powder. "Malfoy Manor!" And with a whirl of green fire, the injured pair were gone.

Draco immediately began looking for something. "We need to write Potter…"

"Draco, I can't feel my leg," Hermione said. "I just realized it now…"

"What happened?"

"Flashback… back at the restaurant."

"Oh." Draco abandoned his search for a quill and paper. "I thought you were knocked unconscious."

"No." She fell onto a couch and felt something crumple beneath her. "What's that?" She reached below her back and pulled out a grimy piece of parchment.

Draco walked over in two long strides and snatched it out of her hands. "That wasn't there befo…."

"What does it say?" Hermione asked. For the third time that night, he looked extremely unwell.

He shook his head. "She's with them."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

A/N- Okay, updates:

I have a **FictionPress account** and a **blog**! Links are on my profile!

Darren Criss is going to be on Glee! For more details, see my blog. (On my profile.)

This story is not my priority whatsoever anymore. Sorry, updates will be slow.

I have posted a challenge on the Harry Potter Challenges Forum, entitled "Closet Challenge". If you want to enter, go check it out, I would really appreciate it. :) I might post the link on my profile.

Okay, so thanks to all of you, review if you want, don't if you don't!

~Potato


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